We would appreciate your taking the time to complete the survey below.

Obtaining information from the public is important. It should only take about 10 minutes of your time.

Your responses are voluntary and will be confidential. You will not be asked for any personal information. Responses will not be identified by individual. All responses will be compiled together and analyzed as a group.

Survey closes March 14, 2018 at 11:59 pm

Project stage:

The Government of Canada has indicated that non-medical cannabis will become legal by the summer of 2018.

The Alberta provincial government will be responsible for deciding how non-medical cannabis will be distributed and sold within their provincial boundaries.

The City of Medicine Hat will have a role in developing local policies and regulations for non-medical cannabis that will determine where retail stores may be located and where public consumption will be allowed.

The City is seeking the community’s input on how the residents and businesses want cannabis legalization to ‘look like’ in Medicine Hat.

The City of Medicine Hat is not currently accepting applications for cannabis retail stores.

Right now it is only legal to use cannabis if you have a medical prescription. Selling cannabis for non-medical purposes is still illegal.

Opening a cannabis store in Medicine Hat

Medical cannabis production is currently legal and has been for a number of years. We encourage individuals interested in any opportunities to develop a medical cannabis production facility to research the federal licensing requirements and contact Planning & Development Services (contact info below) to discuss their business proposal.

For individuals interested in starting a cannabis retail store, there are three main factors that limit how much guidance the City of Medicine Hat can provide:

1 - Non-medical cannabis is currently illegal. The City cannot process or approve any applications for cannabis retail stores until federal and provincial legislation is passed.

2 - The Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission (AGLC) will be the license provider to cannabis retail stores in Alberta. The AGLC will establish rules that will guide where stores can locate in terms of minimum separation distances from schools, community centres, liquor stores, other cannabis retail stores, etc. Full details on licensing and establishing a cannabis retail operation will be released by the AGLC in early 2018.

3 - Through the cannabis public engagement survey, the City will be able to assess community values and potentially increase separation distances established by the AGLC; if our public feedback gives us a clear message to do so.

In April 2017, the Federal government tabled two bills that once adopted will legalize and regulate cannabis in Canada; Bill C-45, The Cannabis Act and Bill C-46, An Act to Amend the Criminal Code. It is the intent of the Federal government to enact both pieces of legislation by the summer 2018. Under the proposed legislation, the Federal government will be responsible for regulating the production of cannabis, as well as setting the rules around possession limits, trafficking, advertising, tracking of seed to sale, establishing minimum age limits, personal cultivation, and the continued oversight of the medical cannabis regime.

Provincial action:

In November 2017, the Province of Alberta passed Bill 26: An Act to Control and Regulate Cannabis; an act that established components of the “Alberta Cannabis Framework” into provincial law. This Bill provides authority for the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission (AGLC) to carry out oversight and compliance functions for cannabis retail, manage the distribution of cannabis in Alberta, to carry out public online sales, and to license privately owned and operated cannabis stores with strong oversight and province wide rules. In addition this Bill establishes provincial offences related to youth possession, public consumption and consumption of cannabis in vehicles.

Additional details on private cannabis retail, including the process and requirements for obtaining a license are expected to be released by the AGLC in early 2018.

We want your input:

The roles of municipalities in implementing the upcoming legal framework for cannabis will focus primarily on zoning and public use. In other words:

• Where cannabis retail stores can operate within the City.

• Whether a municipality chooses to place additional restrictions on where cannabis may be consumed in public spaces.

The City of Medicine Hat will develop local policies and regulations for non-medical cannabis that will determine where retail stores may be located and where public consumption will be allowed. The City is seeking the community’s input on what residents and businesses want cannabis legalization to ‘look like’ in Medicine Hat.